Court Upholds DEC Forest Preserve Snowmobile Trail Construction

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) may now resume work on the development of a multi-use snowmobile trail that connects the communities of Newcomb, Minerva and North Hudson, according to a state Supreme Court decision handed down on Friday, August 12. The decision denied the motion for a preliminary injunction brought by PROTECT the Adirondacks! against DEC's action to construct a multi-use trail that had been approved by the Adirondack Park Agency as part of its review of DEC's unit management plans for this portion of the Adirondack Park.

"The court has correctly found that DEC's actions to develop this snowmobile trail were constitutional, had been included in public planning documents and would not lead to the cutting or removal of trees and timber to a substantial extent," said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "DEC has worked carefully to develop this trail with minimal impact on Forest Preserve lands, and at the same time is eliminating other trails that are redundant, unsafe and intrude into more remote areas of the Forest Preserve. We are also acquiring significant new Forest Preserve lands, building on our conservation legacy and creating great new outdoor recreational opportunities."